TWO

The stars aligned the following Saturday and they gave me good luck. My boss admitted he'd been exploiting me and gave me the evening off and my roommate Mia had worked a double shift as a favour to another nurse who told her she'd be doing hers that Saturday, so we both were free and decided to go out for a drink. I know I've said I'm not that social but it doesn't hurt once a year and besides, we weren't going to a famous club or anything like that. There was a pub near our apartment that was decorated like a German beer hall that was perfectly okay: it was crowded every weekend and it had a small dance floor at the back. I fancied a drink, I'd be able to interact a little with the rest of humanity and back home to rest... perfect. And I'd dress up instead of just covering myself, for a change.

My best customer's sisters came to my mind but I wouldn't be able to look so good, not in a million years. And still, I was determined to bring out the best in me since I was in good spirits. I'm taller than they're which was an advantage, a smaller one but it made me feel better, and my haircut looked like the one of the girl with blueish-green eyes although a bit longer. My body wasn't as toned as theirs but I keep fit and my wardrobe wasn't wonderful back then but, since I wasn't going to a popular club, it'd be enough. I wore black skinny jeans, combat boots with golden buckles, a cheap version of the ones the blue-eyed girl had, and a T-shirt with the entire back made of see-through tulle that showed my bra, taking inspiration of the other sister. Finally, since it was a special night, I applied some makeup highlighting my eyes with smoky shadows. The final effect had a goth vibe so I picked out a funny red clutch because I didn't want to look like the bad witch of the fairy tale. I bumped into Mia when I left my bedroom, she looked stunning with a blue dress and high boots.

"Wow! We're going to get a lot of free drinks today." She jumped happily towards the door while I walked behind her shaking my head.

"Don't get too excited, it's been months since our last party. We'll fall asleep in a corner after the second drink, most likely."

"All right, but we'll dance a little first."

We left our building and walked to the bar: it was a good thing that the place was so close because we could walk back home and drink whatever we wanted, according to Mia. My friend was so excited that I didn't need to be a fortune-teller to predict a hangover on Sunday, the truth is that she wasn't as antisocial as I was and her work shifts left no room to have a normal life, that's why she was crazy with the idea of having a bit of fun. The pub, with tables and chairs made of wood and gorgeous porcelain beer mugs as a decoration, was packed but not over crowded. We managed to get a couple of stools and leaned our elbows on the counter after asking for two wheat beers, something light to start the night. But peace didn't last because, the moment Mia sat down and crossed her legs, the dress showed her thighs and the show drew the attention of half of the men in the pub like they were flies and she was honey. My friend seemed to glow, very comfortable in the spotlight, while I talked to her admirers and enjoyed naughtily the moment when they found out I was immune to their flirting.

"Wow! That is a handsome man!" Mia's sentence left her lips like a gasp.

In a city that has a reputation for the high concentration of models and actors per square meter, a boy who was able to catch my roommate's eye due to his facial features must be truly stunning. I raised my head to take a look at such wonder... and I found Aren. He stood out once again, taller than other men and with his hair tied in a ponytail, he was wearing a simple denim jacket that looked like a million dollars on him. He made eye contact with me immediately and was happy to see me judging by his wide smile, he got closer calmly while the rest of the people stepped back to let him pass by. Even the boys that were trying to flirt with us vanished from the scene, I believed they felt unable to compete with him at that moment but, actually, it's likely that Aren put in their brains the urgency to go to the restroom or something like that.

"Iselen, I'm happy to see you here. The marble cake was delicious, by the way." At that moment, Mia let out a whispered comment that sounded suspiciously like "look who's talking" while she drooled and her eyes travelled all over the body of my best customer. I resigned myself to introduce them not without first kicking my roommate's ankle discreetly in order to wake her up from her trance so she stopped ogling the blond guy in front of her.

"She's my friend Mia. He's Aren, a regular visitor of the shop. I had the opportunity to meet your sisters the other day. They're... interesting."

"Yes, they told me about it. They were really happy with the good treatment you gave them. Can I buy you a drink? That's acceptable in such cases, isn't it?" Aren's faint smile showed that he wasn't used to flirt in pubs.

"Of course you can," Mia answered excited. She was on cloud nine: a free drink and a handsome guy. The truth is that I'd already taken two beers and that was the limit I promised myself not to pass that night, however I couldn't decline Aren's kind gesture... The waiter placed some pink cocktails I'd never seen before in my life on the counter in front of us two minutes later, it tasted sweet and left a pleasant burn in my throat which meant it had a high alcoholic content. I decided to drink at least half to be polite but I wouldn't be able to finish it, not even in my dreams... otherwise, I'd fall asleep on my stool.

My two companions were chatting nonstop while I was busy wetting my lips with the cocktail before leaving the half empty glass on the counter. After we laughed for some minutes about a particularly funny anecdote that happened to Mia at her job, I took my glass once again: it was almost full. I stared at it bewildered, I could've sworn that I'd drunk more. "Is this my second cocktail? When did I finish the first one?" I thought puzzled but Aren drew my attention with a new funny comment, we laughed and I drank, laughed more and drank again. I grabbed my glass a few minutes later. Empty... "How many of these have I drunk? Two or three?" The pub started spinning around me, my tongue felt gritty due to an excess of sugar in the drink and my stomach turned.

"Iselen, are you okay?" No, the truth was that I wasn't okay, I felt dizzy and was unable to focus my eyes on Aren, standing in front of me. I realized that Mia wasn't on her stool by my side and I felt panic for a second till I spotted her dancing with a guy, having the time of her life while gesturing at me happily. "Do you want to go outside and breathe a little of fresh air for a minute?"

Of course I did, in fact, I needed it desperately: I felt like suffocating in the heat and smoke of the pub. Aren took my clutch and dragged me outside pulling my arm; people stepped back again as we walked past them, which was a good thing for me because I was feeling clumsy and tripped over my own feet. All I needed was to fall on top of someone to finish the party night. When the fresh and clean air hit my face finally, my nausea vanished and I couldn't help moaning of joy. Sweat got cold on my skin sending a shiver down my spine but I didn't care, I felt way better despite I was still dizzy. My companion keep pulling my arm and dragging me across the parking lot till we reached a dark car.

"Here, sit down."

"Thank you. I'm sorry, I hardly drink and that's why alcohol affects me a lot." That was I was trying to say, it sounded reasonable in my head but I mumbled it most likely. I flopped down on the passenger's seat and Aren closed the door but leaving the window down, my locks of hair danced in my forehead with the gentle breeze and I felt a tingling. I closed my eyes sighing, my world stopped spinning around and I wasn't at risk of vomiting anymore. The car swung when he sat down behind the wheel and closed his door.

"You look much better."

I only answered with a whisper of assent, unable to say a coherent word. I felt calmed, in peace, I was falling asleep... I smiled in my mind with the last hint of conscience: I knew it, I knew that I'd end my night sleeping in a corner if I drank too much. I let my body and mind sank in the world of dreams without fighting and didn't even notice when Aren turned on the engine of his car or when he gestured at a vehicle parked a bit further, where two people were waiting for his sign to move too.

*****

I was comfortably lying on something soft and velvety when I woke up, wrapped up in a warm blanket, and my cheek was leaned on a silky pillow. Feeling dizzy, I pondered for a moment the possibility of falling asleep again but I noticed something immediately: I was thirsty, like hella thirsty. Damn, falling asleep again wasn't possible since my tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth and it felt like sandpaper. I opened my eyes sighing frustrated and just in front of me, on a coffee table, there was a beautiful cut crystal glass full of fresh water. I knew it was cold because drops of condensation were running down and created a circle around the glass on the wooden surface. There was a box of what looked like painkillers right next to it ready to soothe my headache, the pain I started noticing at that very moment. Great. I just needed to find the will to move from that comfortable couch.

Suddenly, a male hand appeared in my field of vision, took one of the pills from the box and gave it to me along with the glass. I sat down with the blanket wrapping up my legs and took the pill and water without breathing: I felt better immediately and looked around for the first time. Ares was sitting on the edge of the coffee table and I'd fallen asleep on a blue velvet couch that was in the middle of a massive and fancy living room. It was decorated with an exquisite good taste: white walls, armchairs that matched the couch, oriental carpets in blue, white and grey shades and some other details like mirrors and silver vases. Some furniture was obviously antique and more than one museum I'd visited could've killed to have a couple of paintings like the ones that were hung on the walls, in fact, that was Picasso's "Harlequin," if I wasn't mistaken. A stunning Murano crystal lamp was hanging from the ceiling and sparkled thanks to the dim light coming from the windows hidden behind fancy curtains, I assumed that it was past noon judging by the angle of the light... To sum up: the place confirmed me what I already knew, Aren was a well-heeled guy.

"Do you feel better?" the deep voice of my host snapped me back to reality.

"Yes, thank you... you're so kind. I'm not a party animal and hardly drink, when I do it I tend to fall asleep. Where's Mia, by the way?"

"Your friend? She stayed at the pub, dancing. You got a phone text later, I bet it was her... Here... your clutch is on the table." It was true, I got a text from Mia telling me she arrived home safely hours ago and I should have fun. Wink, wink. All right, my roommate had too many drinks too till the point she'd forgotten that I only date women. I shook my head quietly while holding back a smile. Aren was staring at me from his seat on the coffee table. "Do you want some breakfast? I still have organic apple juice and the last bag of hazelnut cookies I bought at your shop."

"Sounds great. Can you tell me where the bathroom is, please?"

"That way, walking out of the living room and then to your right."

"Thank you, Aren."

I left the living room calmly, I didn't trip over my feet anymore and the headache had vanished. The small guest bathroom was everything I'd expected, tons of fancy cream marble... my bladder was about to burst because of the drinks last night and the glass of water this morning. I washed my hands and face before smiling at the mirror... the good thing about a goth makeup is that, even if you sleep with it and your mascara runs, the mess goes unnoticed: I just used a slightly wet towel under my eyes and combed with my fingers the bird nest on top of my head. The overall look wasn't that bad, although it was pretty obvious that I had a wild party last night and didn't wake up at my home, but at least I looked half presentable. My stomach rumbling reminded me that my breakfast was waiting. I wondered where Aren's sisters were while walking towards the living room and taking a look at the stunning entrance hall with checkerboard stone tiles on the floor and a big white staircase leading to the second floor. I knew they were living in the same house according to our former conversations and, suddenly, I felt ashamed and didn't want them to see me with my dissolute look.

When I sat down on the couch Aren was still in the same place, like she hadn't moved a muscle, although it was obvious that he did because there was a glass of apple juice and a plate with four cookies on the table. I wolfed down two cookies in a minute and drank half of the glass while my host smiled amused. I nibbled at the third cookie calmer while thinking that it was time for me to go back home, judging by the look of this house I must be in the rich area of the city and it was a long drive to my apartment. I had to arrive, take a shower, have some rest and be ready for a gruelling working day the next day. Aren cleared his throat in front of me, bringing me back to reality.

"Iselen I have a proposition for you." Oh, dear... I had a fair idea... that was the moment when he asked me out. I hate when that happens: I meet a boy, we become friends, we laugh and talk and they feel obliged to flirt with me and ask me out, as if a woman couldn't be just their friend without trying to go one step further with her at least once. I always feel awkward when I explain them that it's not going to happen and it seemed to me that I'd have to go through that with Aren too, but he surprised me. "It's a job offer. Listen... I guess you've noticed this house is a mess..."

"Sorry, what?" A job offer... I wasn't expecting that. And the house wasn't a mess at all although it looked a bit sloppy, not exactly dirty but it'd look better after a bit of vacuum cleaning, rearranging the pillows on the couch, polishing the silverware... It didn't look as terrible as some bachelor pads I had the misfortune of visiting before but it was a shame that such a beautiful room didn't look more... tidy.

"Our housekeeper has... retired. She was an old lady that worked with us for long years but she wasn't able to do her job properly anymore. These past months have been a chaos. Honestly, even if I feel embarrassed admitting it, we aren't used to take care of ourselves as you have seen in your shop. I had no idea of what I was doing."

"I remember it..." I couldn't help laughing thinking about how lost Aren looked that first day, surrounded by shop assistants trying to flirt with him while holding that basket and his shopping list.

"I want to offer you the position, Iselen. The truth is that we need someone trustworthy, with no fear to hard work and able to face unforeseen circumstances since we have surprise guests from time to time. I think you're absolutely perfect for this job. Of course, it's a 24/7 job, you must live here and that's why there's a fully equipped and independent apartment next to the kitchen. We hire a company that comes every week to clean but we need someone who can plan their work telling them what they have to do and where and also, you'll have to do the same with the laundry company that's in charge of our clothes. We need you to cook for us too, go grocery shopping, go to the bank for some paperwork and all that jazz. You can plan your schedule the way you prefer and enjoy free time at your will. For example, if you want to spend your evening with a friend one day, you only need to leave our dinner ready and that's all."

"I eh..." Aren sighed in resignation when he saw my shocked face, leaning his elbows on his knees and his head on his hands, he moved his face closer looking at me right into my eyes.

"Listen, I know it looks like a lot of work but we're quiet people and won't cause you trouble. We aren't wealthy spoiled brats who think they have slaves instead of employees. No one will wake you up early in the morning because wants you to make a sandwich, we aren't that useless. In addition to this, the salary will make up for any inconvenience and we'll pay all the accommodation and food costs, plus a new phone and a car." He gave a figure: it was five times my salary. A huge amount of money in exchange for a work that looked hard, it was true, but with a good planning could be done easily; besides, I'd have outside assistance to help with the hardest tasks... it was too good to be true. I wondered where the trap was. Aren seemed to wait for a response.

"Well, I really think it's an interesting proposition..."

"Have you told her?" A sweet voice interrupted us.